# Wat Saket

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Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Saket Ratchawora Mahawihan วัดสระเกศราชวรมหาวิหาร (วัดสระเกศ) The courtyard of Wat Saket, with the Golden Mount visible in the background. Religion Affiliation Theravada Buddhism Location Location Boripat Road, Khwaeng Ban Bat, Khet Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100 Country Thailand Shown within Bangkok Coordinates 13°45′14″N 100°30′30″E / 13.75389°N 100.50833°E / 13.75389; 100.50833 Architecture Type Thai Architecture Completed Unknown (believed to be Ayutthaya period;[1] renovated many times during the Rattanakosin period) Website www.facebook.com/watsraket

**Wat Saket Ratchawora Mahawihan** ([Thai](/source/Thai_language): วัดสระเกศราชวรมหาวิหาร), commonly known as Wat Saket, is a Buddhist temple (*[wat](/source/Wat)*) in the [Pom Prap Sattru Phai district](/source/Pom_Prap_Sattru_Phai_district) of [Bangkok](/source/Bangkok), Thailand.

The temple dates back to the [Ayutthaya period](/source/Ayutthaya_kingdom), when it was known as Wat Sakae (วัดสะแก). When Bangkok became the capital, King [Rama I](/source/Rama_I) (1737–1809) renovated the temple and bestowed its present name (literally meaning "to wash the hair"). According to tradition, the king stopped here to bathe and wash his hair upon returning from war, before entering the [inner city](/source/Rattanakosin_Island).[2]

## Phu Khao Thong

Chedi inside Wat Saket before it collapsed

*Phu Khao Thong* (“Golden Mountain”, ภูเขาทอง) is a steep artificial hill inside the Wat Saket compound.

Rama I's grandson, King [Rama III](/source/Rama_III) (1788–1851), decided to build a [chedi](/source/Stupa) of huge dimensions inside Wat Saket, but the chedi collapsed during construction because the soft soil of Bangkok could not support the weight. Over the next few decades, the abandoned mud-and-brick structure acquired the shape of a natural hill and was overgrown with weeds.[3] The locals called it the *phu khao* (ภูเขา, 'mountain'), as if it was a natural feature.[4] During that time, it also functioned as a lookout tower for soldiers concerned about the arrival of enemy armies.

During the reign of King [Rama IV](/source/Rama_IV), construction began of a small chedi on the hill. It was completed early in the reign of his son, King [Rama V](/source/Rama_V) (1853–1910) and sanctified by being covered in a layer of gold.[5] A relic of the Buddha was brought from Sri Lanka by Prince [Pritsadang](/source/Prisdang) and placed in the chedi.[6] The surrounding concrete walls were added in the 1940s to stop the hill from eroding.[7] The modern Wat Saket was built in the early 20th century using [Carrara marble](/source/Carrara_marble).[8]

An annual festival is held at Wat Saket every November, featuring a [candlelight](/source/Candle) procession up Phu Khao Thong to the chedi,[9] which is wrapped in a long red robe—just like the "Hae Pha Khuen That" (แห่ผ้าขึ้นธาตุ) festival at [Wat Phra Mahathat](/source/Wat_Phra_Mahathat) in [Nakhon Si Thammarat province](/source/Nakhon_Si_Thammarat_province), southern Thailand. Devotees write their names and their family member's names on the robe and pray, believing that their wishes will be fulfilled. This tradition has been observed since the reign of King Rama V.[10]

At the same time, a grand [Loi Krathong](/source/Loi_Krathong) festival takes place at the temple, accompanied by sideshows and [freak exhibits](/source/Freak_show) such as *[Phi Krasue](/source/Phi_Krasue)* (ผีกระสือ; "a floating female ghost head with glowing entrails"), *Dek Song Hua* (เด็กสองหัว, "a two-headed child"), *Mia Ngu* (เมียงู, "the snake's wife"), or [fun games](/source/Dunk_tank) like *Sao Noi Tok Nam* (สาวน้อยตกน้ำ, "the little girl falls into the water"), among others. The festival is well known among Bangkok residents.[11] The nearby [Fort Mahakan](/source/Fort_Mahakan) community was once a hub of the [fireworks](/source/Firework) industry, but following the demolition of the fort and relocation of the community, the trading of fireworks has been banned.[12][13][14]

Phu Khao Thong is now a popular Bangkok tourist attraction and has become a symbol of the city.

Panoramic view from the Golden Mountain

## Vultures of Wat Saket

Cement crematorium near Wat Saket in the past (circa 1900); the black spots atop the crematorium are vultures waiting to eat the corpses. The crematorium was demolished to make way for the Men Pun intersection at the end of the [Sommot Amon Mak bridge](/source/Sommot_Amon_Mak_Bridge)

The vulture statues in memory of the cholera outbreaks, when the vultures ate the corpses

In the early [Rattanakosin period](/source/Rattanakosin_period) (between the reigns of Rama I and Rama V), the [Siamese](/source/Thai_people) had a tradition of avoiding cremations within the [city walls](/source/Fortifications_of_Bangkok), believing them to be inauspicious. Wat Saket, located outside the fortified area, thus became a frequent site for funerals. Corpses were carried through the [Pratu Phi](/source/Pratu_Phi), or 'ghost gate', to be cremated there.

In 1820, during the reign of King Rama II (1809–1824), a [cholera](/source/Cholera) [outbreak](/source/1817%E2%80%931824_cholera_pandemic) spread from [Penang](/source/Penang) to Bangkok, claiming over 30,000 lives in the capital. Wat Saket became the city's main receiving ground for the dead, alongside Wat Sangwet in [Banglamphu](/source/Banglamphu) and [Wat Choeng Lane](/source/Wat_Bophit_Phimuk) in [Sampheng](/source/Sampheng). The sheer number of bodies overwhelmed the cremation facilities. Many corpses were left exposed in the monastery's open areas, attracting flocks of [vultures](/source/Old_World_vultures) that came to feed. Wat Saket effectively became a feeding ground for carrion birds. Cholera outbreaks recurred each dry season until the early reign of King Rama V. The most severe epidemic occurred in 1840 during King Rama III's reign, when one in ten people in Siam and its surroundings perished. The final major outbreak came in 1881, with hundreds dying each day.

The image of vultures circling above Wat Saket became a haunting symbol of death. The phrase *Raeng Wat Saket* (แร้งวัดสระเกศ, "vultures of Wat Saket") entered popular speech, often paired with *Pret Wat Suthat* (เปรตวัดสุทัศน์, "[preta](/source/Preta) of [Wat Suthat](/source/Wat_Suthat)")—a likely reference to ghostly legends surrounding the temple's murals.[15][2][3]

## Gallery

		- Historic photo of Wat Saket and Golden Mount during King Rama V's reign

		- The Golden Mount in 1976

		- Wat Saket in 1976

		- The main Ordination hall (*[ubosot](/source/Ubosot)*)

		- Wat Saket and [Wat Ratchanatdaram](/source/Wat_Ratchanatdaram)

		- The Golden Mount in 2022

## See also

- [History of Bangkok](/source/History_of_Bangkok)

- [Sumeru](/source/Sumeru)

- [Mandala (Southeast Asian history)](/source/Mandala_(Southeast_Asian_history))

- [Wat Si Saket](/source/Wat_Si_Saket)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["WAT SRAKESA"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170129205913/http://wat360.com/en/temple.php?wat_name=watsrakesa). *WAT360*. Archived from [the original](https://wat360.com/en/temple.php?wat_name=watsrakesa) on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ci_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ci_2-1) Pralongchoeng, Kilane (3 October 2017). ["หมุดหมายแห่งสระเกศ"](https://www.thairath.co.th/newspaper/columns/1086852) [Placemark of Saket]. *Thairath* (in Thai). Retrieved 19 September 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Rangan_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Rangan_3-1) Datta, Rangan (27 April 2023). ["Wat Saket and the Golden Mount — a stunning architectural marvel in Bangkok"](https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/places/wat-saket-and-the-golden-mount-a-stunning-architectural-marvel-in-bangkok/cid/1932772). The Telegraph. My Kolkata. Retrieved 26 October 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Old photo (around 1900) of dilapidated prang from the collection of Cornell University Library](https://dlxs.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=sea;cc=sea;sid=fd258f1374ff0bf467cbfbf937e68f4e;rgn=full%20text;idno=sea141;view=image;seq=14) (last access 2009-09-24).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Walsh, John (2009). *Bangkok City*. International Affairs Division, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-974-16-8598-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-974-16-8598-1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** McDaniel, Justin Thomas (2011). [*The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk: Practicing Buddhism in Modern Thailand*](https://books.google.com/books?id=pZg7AAAAQBAJ&q=Buddha+relic&pg=PT186). Columbia University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780231527545](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780231527545).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Wikimapia: Temple of the Golden Mount or Phu Khao Thong (ภูเขาทอง) -Bangkok (Krungthep)](http://wikimapia.org/11129/Temple-of-the-Golden-Mount-or-Phu-Khao-Thong-%E0%B8%A0%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Norwich 2001, p. 266

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Emmons 2008, p. 64

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [""ห่มผ้าแดงภูเขาทอง" พิธีศักดิ์สิทธิ์ สิริมงคลสูงล้น ปฏิบัติสืบสานตั้งแต่สมัย ร.๕"](https://mgronline.com/travel/detail/9620000105776) ["Covering the red robe of the Golden Mount", a sacred ceremony high auspicious continuing from the reign of Rama V]. *[ASTV Manager](/source/ASTV_Manager)* (in Thai). 7 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** krashkraft (9 November 2008). ["sao noi tok nam"](https://www.flickr.com/photos/krashkraft/3049909040). *[Flickr](/source/Flickr)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Wat Saket and the Golden Mount"](https://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/wat-saket-and-the-golden-mount). Tourism Authority of Thailand. Retrieved 8 March 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Boonbandit, Tappanai (7 November 2019). ["WHERE TO FLOAT YOUR KRATHONGS IN BANGKOK 2019"](http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/events/2019/11/07/where-to-float-your-krathongs-in-bangkok-2019/). *[Khao Sod](/source/Khao_Sod)*. Retrieved 9 November 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Atthakor, Ploenpote (18 January 2018). ["Troops at Mahakan rattle locals"](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1398178/troops-at-mahakan-rattle-locals). *[Bangkok Post](/source/Bangkok_Post)*. Retrieved 9 November 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["ความจริงไม่ตาย : ยักษ์วัดแจ้ง แร้งวัดสระเกศ เปรตวัดสุทัศน์"](http://program.thaipbs.or.th/TruthNeverDies) [Truth never dies : ogres of Wat Arun, vultures of Wat Saket, preta of Wat Suthat]. *[Thai PBS](/source/Thai_PBS)* (in Thai). 18 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.

## Sources

- Norwich, John Julius (2001), [*Great architecture of the world*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Oo2BjGYRIT0C&pg=PA266), USA: Da Capo Press Inc., [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-306-81042-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-306-81042-5)

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Wat Saket](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wat_Saket).

- [A photograph of the chedi under construction](http://image.hnol.net/c/2015-05/07/15/201505071554075341-2297216.jpg) c. 1865 by John Thompson[1][2]

[13°45′14″N 100°30′30″E / 13.75389°N 100.50833°E / 13.75389; 100.50833](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Wat_Saket&params=13_45_14_N_100_30_30_E_type:landmark_region:TH)

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Piemmettawat, Paisarn (2015). *Siam Through the Lens of John Thompson 1865-66* (1 ed.). River Books Press Ltd. p. 109. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9786167339511](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9786167339511).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Citation error. See inline comment how to fix. [*[verification needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability)*]

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wat Saket](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Saket) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Saket?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.